Clair
Clair was last recorded in 2025, when 29 babies were given it; 16,351 Americans have been recorded with it between 1880 and 2025 (Social Security Administration, published May 2026).
An estimated 5,390 Americans named Clair and born in the U.S. are alive in 2026 (33% of everyone recorded); the median is 59 years old and half are between 30 and 75.
Girls and boys together; gaps are years SSA did not record (fewer than 5 births).
Births of Clair by year: SSA national baby-name file, 1880-2025, published May 8, 2026. SSA’s notes on the data.
What does Clair mean?
Wiktionary, English section
Clair is “a male given name transferred from the surname.”
Also “a female given name from French.”
A less common spelling of Claire.
Meaning: Wiktionary, English section, as of Sep 25, 2026 (CC BY‑SA 4.0).
How popular is Clair?
Unranked in 2025
Its last boys’ rank on record is #12,398, in 2020; SSA lists a name only in years with 5 or more births.
405 babies in 1923, the peak
Clair peaked in 1923, when 405 babies were given it (356 boys, #295 among boys’ names). The 29 births of 2025 are 7% of that peak.
Births by sex.
| Year | Girls | Girls’ rank | Boys | Boys’ rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 29 | #4,679 | under 5 | |
| 2024 | 30 | #4,582 | under 5 | |
| 2023 | 28 | #4,778 | under 5 | |
| 2022 | 18 | #6,507 | under 5 | |
| 2021 | 26 | #4,987 | under 5 | |
| 2020 | 31 | #4,373 | 5 | #12,398 |
| 2019 | 40 | #3,733 | under 5 | |
| 2018 | 33 | #4,255 | under 5 | |
| 2017 | 29 | #4,719 | under 5 | |
| 2016 | 31 | #4,553 | 5 | #12,557 |
Every recorded year (146)
| Year | Girls | Girls’ rank | Boys | Boys’ rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 48 | #3,360 | under 5 | |
| 2014 | 57 | #2,974 | under 5 | |
| 2013 | 45 | #3,481 | under 5 | |
| 2012 | 56 | #3,015 | under 5 | |
| 2011 | 51 | #3,233 | 5 | #12,626 |
| 2010 | 43 | #3,635 | under 5 | |
| 2009 | 56 | #3,054 | under 5 | |
| 2008 | 64 | #2,809 | under 5 | |
| 2007 | 62 | #2,895 | under 5 | |
| 2006 | 47 | #3,419 | under 5 | |
| 2005 | 48 | #3,219 | under 5 | |
| 2004 | 41 | #3,573 | under 5 | |
| 2003 | 49 | #3,048 | under 5 | |
| 2002 | 53 | #2,823 | 5 | #10,957 |
| 2001 | 46 | #3,054 | 7 | #8,461 |
| 2000 | 50 | #2,865 | under 5 | |
| 1999 | 49 | #2,789 | under 5 | |
| 1998 | 48 | #2,764 | under 5 | |
| 1997 | 56 | #2,361 | 6 | #8,307 |
| 1996 | 57 | #2,318 | 10 | #5,595 |
| 1995 | 62 | #2,159 | 7 | #7,115 |
| 1994 | 50 | #2,503 | under 5 | |
| 1993 | 40 | #2,939 | 5 | #8,940 |
| 1992 | 59 | #2,242 | 7 | #6,777 |
| 1991 | 66 | #2,054 | under 5 | |
| 1990 | 49 | #2,461 | 7 | #6,523 |
| 1989 | 49 | #2,372 | under 5 | |
| 1988 | 65 | #1,891 | 11 | #4,207 |
| 1987 | 42 | #2,442 | under 5 | |
| 1986 | 54 | #2,005 | 18 | #2,794 |
| 1985 | 55 | #1,975 | 11 | #3,836 |
| 1984 | 41 | #2,345 | 10 | #3,970 |
| 1983 | 32 | #2,728 | 18 | #2,593 |
| 1982 | 41 | #2,378 | 8 | #4,663 |
| 1981 | 31 | #2,861 | 12 | #3,450 |
| 1980 | 22 | #3,631 | 22 | #2,291 |
| 1979 | 24 | #3,356 | 14 | #3,035 |
| 1978 | 28 | #2,875 | 16 | #2,688 |
| 1977 | 22 | #3,394 | 13 | #3,068 |
| 1976 | 27 | #2,806 | 19 | #2,348 |
| 1975 | 28 | #2,693 | 14 | #2,776 |
| 1974 | 20 | #3,333 | 24 | #1,894 |
| 1973 | 16 | #3,808 | 23 | #1,882 |
| 1972 | 12 | #4,567 | 27 | #1,686 |
| 1971 | 11 | #4,859 | 22 | #1,927 |
| 1970 | 18 | #3,454 | 27 | #1,661 |
| 1969 | 18 | #3,222 | 31 | #1,446 |
| 1968 | 14 | #3,637 | 24 | #1,616 |
| 1967 | 28 | #2,281 | 34 | #1,291 |
| 1966 | 22 | #2,599 | 41 | #1,166 |
| 1965 | 15 | #3,284 | 57 | #976 |
| 1964 | 26 | #2,419 | 52 | #1,046 |
| 1963 | 30 | #2,175 | 69 | #899 |
| 1962 | 34 | #1,998 | 63 | #955 |
| 1961 | 43 | #1,747 | 75 | #881 |
| 1960 | 33 | #1,985 | 67 | #922 |
| 1959 | 42 | #1,697 | 72 | #903 |
| 1958 | 40 | #1,705 | 84 | #820 |
| 1957 | 23 | #2,357 | 80 | #841 |
| 1956 | 30 | #1,977 | 115 | #688 |
| 1955 | 35 | #1,775 | 99 | #731 |
| 1954 | 41 | #1,586 | 105 | #708 |
| 1953 | 42 | #1,508 | 126 | #635 |
| 1952 | 40 | #1,526 | 131 | #617 |
| 1951 | 39 | #1,507 | 136 | #595 |
| 1950 | 44 | #1,378 | 113 | #658 |
| 1949 | 33 | #1,635 | 116 | #633 |
| 1948 | 37 | #1,521 | 148 | #547 |
| 1947 | 37 | #1,547 | 158 | #536 |
| 1946 | 35 | #1,481 | 143 | #537 |
| 1945 | 29 | #1,518 | 132 | #521 |
| 1944 | 44 | #1,188 | 159 | #479 |
| 1943 | 21 | #1,908 | 165 | #480 |
| 1942 | 26 | #1,635 | 180 | #462 |
| 1941 | 29 | #1,448 | 165 | #461 |
| 1940 | 30 | #1,377 | 175 | #439 |
| 1939 | 23 | #1,595 | 208 | #391 |
| 1938 | 24 | #1,555 | 177 | #429 |
| 1937 | 31 | #1,306 | 198 | #392 |
| 1936 | 19 | #1,748 | 227 | #359 |
| 1935 | 22 | #1,615 | 217 | #366 |
| 1934 | 30 | #1,321 | 238 | #357 |
| 1933 | 27 | #1,406 | 248 | #338 |
| 1932 | 32 | #1,298 | 238 | #362 |
| 1931 | 31 | #1,316 | 254 | #344 |
| 1930 | 51 | #1,032 | 314 | #313 |
| 1929 | 34 | #1,288 | 285 | #328 |
| 1928 | 48 | #1,085 | 286 | #332 |
| 1927 | 38 | #1,281 | 288 | #337 |
| 1926 | 35 | #1,331 | 337 | #308 |
| 1925 | 34 | #1,383 | 310 | #326 |
| 1924 | 22 | #1,883 | 327 | #320 |
| 1923 | 49 | #1,089 | 356 | #295 |
| 1922 | 34 | #1,373 | 320 | #322 |
| 1921 | 36 | #1,307 | 321 | #330 |
| 1920 | 40 | #1,212 | 339 | #311 |
| 1919 | 29 | #1,454 | 339 | #292 |
| 1918 | 41 | #1,166 | 325 | #310 |
| 1917 | 32 | #1,283 | 314 | #297 |
| 1916 | 33 | #1,250 | 301 | #297 |
| 1915 | 26 | #1,410 | 297 | #291 |
| 1914 | 33 | #1,037 | 204 | #319 |
| 1913 | 12 | #1,793 | 191 | #288 |
| 1912 | 17 | #1,312 | 136 | #317 |
| 1911 | 15 | #1,179 | 70 | #323 |
| 1910 | 8 | #1,800 | 35 | #464 |
| 1909 | 9 | #1,495 | 39 | #388 |
| 1908 | 8 | #1,565 | 53 | #301 |
| 1907 | 11 | #1,217 | 50 | #301 |
| 1906 | 7 | #1,581 | 40 | #324 |
| 1905 | 13 | #1,067 | 43 | #306 |
| 1904 | 9 | #1,271 | 42 | #300 |
| 1903 | 9 | #1,225 | 33 | #331 |
| 1902 | 8 | #1,341 | 37 | #322 |
| 1901 | 7 | #1,366 | 21 | #408 |
| 1900 | 11 | #1,178 | 39 | #350 |
| 1899 | 15 | #845 | 30 | #324 |
| 1898 | 7 | #1,394 | 37 | #316 |
| 1897 | 6 | #1,410 | 27 | #361 |
| 1896 | 10 | #1,058 | 33 | #329 |
| 1895 | 7 | #1,326 | 31 | #331 |
| 1894 | under 5 | 32 | #308 | |
| 1893 | under 5 | 25 | #360 | |
| 1892 | 5 | #1,490 | 28 | #358 |
| 1891 | 7 | #1,115 | 32 | #292 |
| 1890 | under 5 | 20 | #407 | |
| 1889 | 5 | #1,318 | 20 | #406 |
| 1888 | under 5 | 26 | #361 | |
| 1887 | under 5 | 12 | #522 | |
| 1886 | under 5 | 20 | #397 | |
| 1885 | under 5 | 14 | #503 | |
| 1884 | under 5 | 13 | #527 | |
| 1883 | under 5 | 15 | #462 | |
| 1882 | under 5 | 15 | #471 | |
| 1881 | under 5 | 9 | #607 | |
| 1880 | 5 | #849 | 12 | #536 |
Ranks: girls’ names and boys’ names ranked separately in each year’s SSA file; “under 5” is a year SSA did not list the name for that sex.
Is Clair a boy’s or a girl’s name?
Of the 16,351 Americans recorded as Clair, 26% are girls and 74% boys. In 2025 it went to 29 girls; SSA lists no boys with it that year (fewer than 5, or none).
Years with fewer than 20 babies given the name are left blank.
Girls and boys named Clair: the SSA national file counts each sex separately.
How many people are named Clair, and how old are they?
5,390 alive in 2026, estimated
That is 33% of the 16,351 Americans ever recorded as Clair. The median Clair alive today is 59 years old; half are between 30 and 75.
The 2020 Census counted 7,343 people named Clair (3,905 women and girls, 3,438 men and boys). SSA’s births carried forward to Census day, April 1, 2020, predict 6,270 born in the U.S. The Census count is 17% above that prediction. Possible reasons: the Census counts people born abroad, whom SSA’s files leave out, and it records the name people give, which SSA may have recorded under another spelling or as part of a compound name.
Alive today, by age
Alive today, by generation
| Generation | Born | Alive |
|---|---|---|
| Silent Generation | 1928-1945 | 787 |
| Baby Boomers | 1946-1964 | 1,760 |
| Generation X | 1965-1980 | 657 |
| Millennials | 1981-1996 | 889 |
| Generation Z | 1997-2012 | 833 |
| Generation Alpha | 2013-2025 | 452 |
An estimate, not a count. SSA’s files count people born in the United States who received a Social Security number, so anyone born abroad is not in them; before 1937 most people got a number as adults, and their survival is counted from that age.
Living estimate: SSA births carried forward with the survival rates in SSA’s cohort life tables (2024 Trustees Report) for each birth year and sex. How the estimate is made. Count: Census Bureau, first names in the 2020 Census (released April 14, 2026; names reported 100 or more times, with the Bureau’s disclosure-avoidance adjustment).
Where are babies named Clair born?
The states with the most babies named Clair are Pennsylvania, Iowa and Ohio, with 61% of its births recorded by state since 1910; Iowa is not among the ten states with the most births.
| State | Since 1910 | Rank, boys | vs. national |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania | 4,484 | not ranked | 4.0× |
| Iowa | 623 | not ranked | 2.1× |
| Ohio | 616 | not ranked | 0.8× |
| Michigan | 591 | not ranked | 1.0× |
| New York | 589 | not ranked | 0.4× |
| Utah | 467 | not ranked | 4.3× |
| Minnesota | 378 | not ranked | 1.1× |
| California | 268 | not ranked | 0.3× |
| Kansas | 211 | not ranked | 1.0× |
| Wisconsin | 191 | not ranked | 0.5× |
Where Clair is more common than its national share predicts
Relative to its national share, Clair is most over-represented in Utah: since 1910 it was given 4.3 times as often there as its national share each year would predict.
States: SSA state file, 1910-2025, published May 8, 2026; births count girls and boys together, and the rank is among boys’ names in the state in 2025. The file leaves out any state and year with fewer than 5 babies of the name, so small states are undercounted; each ratio compares the state’s births of Clair with the births its national share predicts year by year, for states with at least 100 births of the name.
Names that rose and fell in the same decades as Clair
Names whose births rose and fell across the same decades, measured on each decade’s share of births.
Similar histories: each decade’s share of births, from the SSA national file, 1880-2025, published May 8, 2026. SSA’s notes on the data.
More about Clair and names like it
- Compare Clair and ElgieBirths, ranks, peak and the living estimate side by side.
- The most given names of the 1920sClair peaked in 1923.
- Pennsylvania’s most given namesThe state where SSA recorded the most babies named Clair since 1910.
- French namesWiktionary’s origin for Clair: every such name, by how often it is given.
- The top names of 1923The year the most babies were named Clair.
- The names of the Baby BoomersMost people named Clair alive today were born 1946-1964.
- Names starting with CMost given first.